GPS tracking: Helpful, useful tool or big brother watching?

GPS tracking systems are great as long as they are used properly, not to stalk or control someone.  Ever since I had my children I am all for GPS tracking.  I know that there is some research being done on implants for children, similar to what is currently being used on pets.  The idea is that you can surgically insert a GPS chip into your child so that if they go missing they can easily be found.  It is also similar to the bead technology already being used with credit cards.  Your credit card and identity is put into a little chip, that is about the size of a piece of rice, that is implanted under your skin.  People use readers to get your information and bill you.  Some of the bigger clubs in the US are already using them.  With the number of children that go missing each day, let alone each year, having an implanted GPS tracking system could be a good thing.  It is all about the safety of our children.

There are quite a few products currently available to use to keep track of your children.  There are watches, pins, buttons, toys, and even clothing with built in GPS tracking.  Some have limited range but others are quite powerful and are all used for child safety.  The real problem is that people who take kids make a point to know what technology is available to protect kids and find a way to remove it.  I think that an implant is a good idea as long as it can be removed once a child becomes a legal adult. 

Maybe I am a little paranoid about the safety of my children, but when my son was a baby someone tried to take him.  I had put my son into the stroller, reached into the car to get his blanket, turned around and my stroller and son were gone.  Several feet away there was a lady rushing away with my son.  It was scary but I was lucky to be able to chase her down as she took off through the mall parking lot with my stroller and son.  She did not get very far, but it did make me realize that some people are willing to take any risk or opportunity presented to them to take a child.  One of my friends had a similar thing happen to her in store.  She had her twin boys in their stroller.  Some lady just walked up and then started to walk away with the stroller.  My friend stopped her, and then the lady tried to claim the boys were hers and that my friend was trying to steel them.  Security and then police had to be called to sort it out.

However there is some fear of the big brother watching over everything you do.  This is a valid fear.  I have read the sci-fi books and have seen the movies all showing societies controlled or monitored by Governments using implanted chips to track people.  Advertising companies are already trying to track us the consumers and our spending habits, usually through credit card and cash card sales, so they can market directly to us.  They are always looking for better ways to monitor us, I am sure if there is a way to track us they are already using it and trying to find new ways.  There is actually clothing with smart chips in them to be used to track people.  There was a report on it a few weeks ago as being a new technology for advertisers to track consumers.  I don’t know if it has been approved or not.  But the point is that the technology is there.  As it is cell phones and even GPS tracking systems in our cars are used to track people.   All for our own good mind you, if you call 911 and are unable to provide your location often they can find you by your phone as long as it is on.  The GPS tracking systems in the cars works the same, with the added bonus that if some one steels your car it is easer to get your car back.

However the potential for abuse is huge.  If you want information about someone, use a GPS tracking and learn what you want.  Someone is stalking you, all they need to do is put GPS tracking on your or your car and they know where you are.  The intent of GPS tracking is to help people, but that does not mean everyone who will use it intentions are good.  Anything can be used for good or bad, it is the person using it that determines if it is meant to benefit or harm others.

If someone is going to track you they are going to do so with or with out a GPS tracking system.  Someone who thinks that their spouse is cheating is going to find a way to confirm it.  It may be hiring someone, following them, using a hidden video recorder or GPS tracker.  The same goes if someone is hunting or stalking someone, they are going to hunt that person down anyway they can.  A GPS tracker is just a tool that can be used for both good and bad.

I have to admit that when my kids are teenagers I would like to be able to confirm that they are where they said they were going to be and doing what they said they would.  I don’t know if monitoring them all the time is a good thing though.  It shows that you don’t trust your kids and it is not healthy to spend your time spying on your kids.  It depends on if you are checking on them, or obsessed with knowing where they are and what they are doing all the time.  As with any tool, how you use a GPS tracker is what is important.

Tags: child, child safety, children, gps, gps for cars, gps for children, gps tracking, gps tracking system, protection, safety

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